CROYA StaffMeet the People Behind the Fun

CROYA Staff

CROYA adult staff are trained professionals, always on site, who guide and assist young adults. CROYA adult staff are trained and experienced in guiding young adults in learning valuable life skills including accountability, ethics, values, civility, and service; teaching Peer Training to equip young adults to manage complex social-emotional issues; assisting young adults in managing their lives while developing coping skills for the future; fostering the importance of respect for selves, peers and adults; facilitating the development of leadership skills through team building, decision-making, and group processing; and helping young adults bring their creative ideas to life in realistic and appropriate ways.

Todd Nahigian

CROYA Manager

Todd grew up in Northfield and attended Glenbrook South High School. He studied Psychology at Miami University (Ohio), and earned his Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, now Argosy University. Todd began working at CROYA as the High School Youth Worker in 1995, and became the Assistant Director of CROYA in 2000. Todd and his wife Amy have twin daughters (Addison & Brooke). Todd is an avid Cubs fan and still plays on a men's baseball team in Chicago. On working at CROYA, Todd says he “most enjoys working with youth to provide them with opportunities where they can feel good about themselves as a person. Adolescence is a challenging time. Anything I can do to help kids in their social-emotional development is rewarding to me."

Rick Day

CROYA Student Union Program Manager

Rick grew up in Lake Forest and attended Deer Path Middle School and Lake Forest High School, where he was Chairman of the CROYA High School Executive Committee. He received his BS in Agricultural and Consumer Economics from the University of Illinois. Before becoming the Student Union Program manager, Rick worked for the National Headquarters of his Fraternity, Sigma Tau Gamma, in Warrensburg, MO.

As the Student Union Program Manager, Rick looks forward to developing new and exciting programming for after school and weekend hours. Rick loves CROYA because “CROYA is an amazing organization that not only provides leadership and service opportunities, but also provides a space for youth to be themselves and have fun. CROYA truly helped shape me into the person that I am today, and I’m so excited to be able to share the CROYA experience with the youth of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.”

Meghan Gayter

CROYA High School Youth Worker

Meghan grew up in Lake Bluff and attended Lake Bluff Middle School and Lake Forest High School, where she was an active member of CROYA. She received her degree in Restaurants, Hotel and Tourism with a minor in Business Administration from Ohio University. Before working at CROYA, Meghan worked at a catering company in Chicago, helping plan various events.

Meghan joined the CROYA staff at the end of 2015 as CROYA’s Middle School Youth Worker, where she spent quality time creating programs with students in the community. As the High School Youth Worker, Meghan hopes to connect with students from Lake Forest High School, Woodlands Academy, and Lake Forest Academy and help to bring their ideas to life. Meghan loves CROYA because “It was a place where I discovered my voice and love for leadership, and I love watching the youth of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff do the same.”

Leslie Walton

CROYA Middle School Youth Worker

Leslie grew up in Bushnell, Illinois and attended Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin for high school. She received her degree in Communication from Lake Forest College in 2015. Before working at CROYA, Leslie worked in the athletic department at her alma mater, Wayland Academy, a boarding school in Wisconsin. Leslie is an avid tennis player and tries to play as much as she can. In 2016, Leslie joined the CROYA staff as the Student Union Youth Worker, where she planned and organized after school programs and weekend activities. Leslie is currently the Middle School Youth Worker and hopes continue to build relationships with the youth and local middle schools in addition to planning programs and community service opportunities that the youth are passionate about and want to participate in.

Nick Cvijovic

Program Director

Nick Cvijovic is the current Program Director of Activator Music Academy. Nick is a DePaul Graduate and has been teaching at Activator since 2008. He plays in bands that play all over the Midwest and in a variety of musical styles from punk rock and heavy metal, to indie. Nick is able to share music with young people in a fun way that makes the learning process progress quickly. Nick also leads our High School Open Mic Nights and various other classes and events at the music school and CROYA.